Valley's Sassy4Savings blogger shares tips, tricks to save money

PHOENIX -- We all like to save money. So one Mesa mom is sharing her secrets for saving with us. And she's got some good ones.

In fact, Cari Henning's shopping strategies have earned her a final spot in "ALL YOU" magazine's America's Smartest Shopper contest. She beat out more than 800 other entrants.

The smart shopping tip she submitted into the contest is a method she calls "Group Shopping". It's one that she came up with while working on her blog, Sassy4Savings. She noticed that some of the amazing deals required people to buy a large amount of product in order to get the discount that was being offered.

Cari says she knew that not everyone would need or want to buy such a hefty bundle of product at one time. So she started thinking about it and realized that even if individually you may not need a large stock of that item, you may have friends that want to purchase the same items you are.

"You just combine your transaction and split the cost," says Cari.

Cari shared her top five shopping tips with us on Tuesday's Good Morning Arizona:

-Have a budget
-Shop with a purpose
-Keep your emotions out of it
-Utilize your smartphone (best money saving resource)
-Don't use money you don't have (via credit card)

She also told us about the 5 purchases of which she is most proud
-Cologne - 2 large bottles for less than $90 total. Retail price over $200
-12-roll Cottonelle toilet paper for FREE. Retail approximately $8
-$30 prom dress. (Don't remember the retail value)
-Large Box of Diapers $10. Retail about $30
-Mascara for $2, retail about $9

Cari's blog, Sassy4Savings, helps people with their their financial struggles helps people thrive. She hopes to show people that they can prosper no matter their financial state. She says you can always find what you need at a price you can afford; you just have to know where to look. The blog helps readers find the best deals, learn smart shopping tips, and to start gaining confidence in their budget again.

If you'd like to rally behind your favorite smart shopper in the ALL YOU contest, you can vote daily through October 3 at AllYou.com/smartestshopper.

Prizes:
The winner will take home $1,000 plus a Samsung prize package including the Galaxy Tab® S 8.4, Gear Fit and Smart TV. Two runners-up will each receive $500 plus a Galaxy Tab® S 8.4, Gear Fit and Samsung Level™ On headphones. Three finalists will receive a trip with a guest to New York City, where the winner will be revealed live on NBC's TODAY Show.